Toast Time: Smash Up!

Genre: Arcade / Action-Platformer

Players: 1-4 Competitive (Local)

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Review:

Toast Time is an Arcade-style Action-Platformer released on Nintendo Switch in 2018. In this game, players take the role of smiley-faced toasters that attack by flinging toasted pastries out of their tops, which also causes the toaster to fling back in the opposite direction.

The presentation here is simple, using mostly monochrome 2D pixel art visuals, backed by a chiptune soundtrack. For the most part this is endearing, but the soundtrack can get a bit grating at times.

In the single-player mode, players tackle rounds where various creatures come on-screen, and players must fend them off, keeping these invaders from reaching a clock before a set amount of time has elapsed. In multiplayer, meanwhile, players attack each other, with a single hit taking out any player.

In single-player modes, it can be a bit hectic trying to aim and be mindful of your own movement at the same time. There is a button that can briefly freeze your momentum, but the way it won’t let you remain in place indefinitely means that you can’t just sit in one spot and keep firing from there for too long.

However, in multiplayer, “hectic” turns to “outright chaotic” as the action of multiple players shooting toast and bouncing around makes it difficult to track what’s going on, and all semblance of trying to strategically plan your movements seems to go out the window as players may have more luck just firing frequently in hopes that something will connect with an opponent.

Because of this chaos, I don’t feel like Toast Time meets its full potential. It’s still an enjoyable game, particularly in single-player, but the chaos and difficulty controlling your character make this a game you’ll likely only want to play for short bursts before moving on to something where you have a bit more control.

tl;dr – Toast Time is an Arcade-style Action-Platformer where players control toasters that attack by flinging toast, which also flings them in the opposite direction. It’s a clever concept, but it makes the gameplay chaotic, especially in multiplayer. It’s still enjoyable in short sessions, but it’s not likely to be a game you’ll play for very long.

Grade: C

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